9 Facts The Queen’s Guards Revealed About Their Job (For example, how they relieve themselves while on duty)

You’ve certainly seen at least once, even if it’s on TV or in movies, those furry hats, the red uniforms, the impeccable upright poses and the serious facial expressions. For many people, the Queen’s Guard is one of Britain’s greatest icons. However, few people know details about the routine of those soldiers🇧🇷

we, from awesome.club, we have gathered in this post some curiosities from accounts of former members of the Queen’s Guard. After reading, you will see that the work is harder than it may seem.

During shifts when they are sentry at their respective posts, it is not true that the guards must be completely still (occasionally, they march a short distance). But it is true that they can never leave their respective places. Not even to use the bathroom. Perhaps you are wondering what they do when they are no longer able to handle physiological needs. The guards just do it right there, without leaving the place. The thick wool pants are supposed to be able to disguise the visual traces of the “accident”. We’re just not so sure about the smell.

After getting an acceptable grade on the so-called test BARB, turned to military careers, the soldier becomes fit to join the Queen’s Guard. Salary for this work is paid according to a list defined by the British Army, with amounts starting at £20,400 (or R$114,000) a year.

They take sentry shifts lasting two hours each. During this period, soldiers march the short distance every ten minutes.🇧🇷 One full day of work You can have two or three shifts with quick rest breaks.

For many people, the ability of members of the Queen’s Guard to remain serious, even in the face of daily attempts to make them laugh, borders on the supernatural. But the fact is, they have good reason to resist temptation.🇧🇷 If a guard laughs while working, he can be fined up to 200 dollars🇧🇷 A value that is definitely not funny.

Despite being well known for their ceremonial duties, soldiers of the Queen’s Guard are part of the British Army. They are therefore part of highly trained infantry troops, most of whom have previous combat experience.

Having its own guard made up of well-selected soldiers is a practice that the British monarchy has maintained since the rule of King Henry VII in the 15th century. The ceremonial tradition, however, came a little later, around the year 1689.

Perhaps one of the reasons why members of the Queen’s Guard are always so serious is the intention to ward off potential troublemakers, thus avoiding the need to use weapons. — because they don’t have ammo🇧🇷 They never hold loaded weapons unless one great and real threat compels them.

On hot summer days, heavy coats can even make soldiers pass out. And if that happens, the members of the Queen’s Guard can’t just fall down anyway. They follow a “fainting etiquette”, which establishes the need to fall to the ground, always face down and without releasing the rifle. As for rainy days (and England has plenty of them), the water can make bearskin hats five to four pounds heavier.

The iconic bearskin hats were created this way to make the Queen’s Guard look bigger and more intimidating on the battlefield. And, yes, the raw material for making the pieces is really the leather of black bears🇧🇷 And guards are “encouraged” to take good care of their respective hats, as damaging one can result in a fine of 400 dollars.

Although the famous troop is usually associated with male members, more and more women join the Queen’s Guard. The first of them served as sentries in the year 2000, outside the official residence of the British monarch in London. More recently, a woman was chosen to lead the Queen’s Guard at Buckingham Palace.

While they aren’t allowed to smile at work, there’s no stopping them from having a good sense of humor. Every now and then, the Queen’s Guard can have a good time. One of the examples can be seen during the changing of the guard, a moment always awaited by hundreds of tourists. On these occasions, the band does not play traditional military music, but hits associated with the pop universe, such as songs taken from the soundtracks of sagas such as Star Wars🇧🇷 Indiana Jones and Austin Powers🇧🇷

Do you know other curiosities involving the Queen’s Guard that were not mentioned in our post? Do you think you would be able to be part of this select group? Leave your comment!